DSU's Cartina Church Selected to be Philly 76er Dancer

It appears that Delaware State University’s loss will be the Philadelphia 76ers’ gain.

Cartina C. Church, a 21-year-old member of the DSU Del-A-Gance Dance Team has stepped down from that group to move up to the NBA to join the Philadelphia 76ers’ Dream Team dancers.

Ms. Church, a senior DSU marketing major and native of Frankford, Del., earned one of 23 slots on the 2013-2014 76ers’ Dream Team, which dances during 76ers’ home games at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. The DSU student made the team from among about 180 dancers who tried out for the coveted slots.

A dancer since her childhood, Ms. Church honed her floor moves at the X Squad Dancing Studio of Selbyville, Del. and Crofton, Md. “I studied jazz, lyrical, ballet, tap, hip-hop…. just about anything under the sun,” she said. “I also did competitive dancing with the X Squad.”

Ms. Church is one of 10 rookies who earned a Dream Team dancing slot. She is also only one of two Delawareans who made the team.

Ms. Church in one of her 76er outfits.

Slated to graduate in 2014, Ms. Church will have to juggle her studies with her new dancing responsibilities in Philadelphia. “Most of my classes are during the day, and I will also work to hand my work in early,” she said.

Dancing aside, Ms. Church said this opportunity is a plus for her marketing aspirations.

“Being around the 76ers’organization, a lot of the people I have met are in marketing and public relations,” Ms. Church said. “So being around them should benefit me.”